Florida Supreme Court rejects Worrell’s appeal against DeSantis suspension

In a ruling released Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court ruled 6-1 against suspended Orange-Osceola District Attorney Monique Worrell, who had tried to get her job back.

The court said Governor Ron DeSantis had the authority to fire her for incompetence and neglect of duty.

The majority opinion, signed by Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz and Justices Charles Canady, John Couriel, Jamie Grosshans and Meredith Sasso, said there were sufficient grounds for Worrell’s suspension, despite her objections that the charges against her – that she did not more aggressively pursue accused gun and drug traffickers and serious juvenile offenders – were vague.

“We cannot agree with Worrell that the allegations in the Executive Order are unduly vague and that they relate to conduct that falls within the lawful discretion of the prosecutor,” the statement said.

While the ruling pointed to specific allegations in the executive order suspending her and in oral arguments presented by DeSantis’s lawyers in December, the majority argued that examining the validity of those specific allegations was the responsibility of the Florida Senate, which has a two-thirds Republican majority.

Judge Jorge Labarga, the lone dissenting vote, countered that voters in Orange and Osceola counties had voted overwhelmingly to entrust her with “the special challenges and circumstances that her diverse jurisdiction presents in handling specific cases.” That argument was rejected by the majority.

The Orlando Sentinel previously reported on deficiencies in a key reason for Worrell’s suspension: she failed to file drug trafficking charges in cases the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office initiated in 2022. In many of those cases, some of which are still pending, charges against the suspects were dropped or reduced for reasons ranging from illegal searches to flawed preliminary drug tests, records show.

After her suspension, DeSantis appointed Orange County Circuit Judge Andrew Bain to replace her. He and Worrell are expected to face off in an election for the position this year.

A spokesman for DeSantis did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the court’s decision.

Worrell did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

This story may be updated.

©2024 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.